ILOILO – The Alliance of Provincial Owners and Drivers Transport Cooperative (APODTC) is urging Department of Transportation (DOTr) secretary Jaime Bautista to investigate the alleged inaction of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6.
On Nov. 8, 2022, Rev. Ricardo Iniego, Jr., chief executive officer of APODTC, wrote to Bautista to report the alleged inaction of LTFRB-6 on the group’s petition for the consolidation of several CPCs (Certificates of Public Convenience) into a single franchise under the cooperative to operate along a certain route, and the delay in the grant of a special permit for augmentation.
Iniego said to answer the government’s call to modernize the transport industry, the APODTC, based in Mohon, Arevalo, Iloilo City and the largest transport cooperative in Region 6, consolidated CPCs for a single franchise.
“As in any starting enterprise, the cooperative had its share of problems and difficulties as it adjusted itself to a new organizational setup. We have persevered with the help of the Cooperative Development Authority and the Land Transportation Office. What concerns me, however, is the LTFRB, which is the lead agency that is supposed to implement that PUVMP (Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program),” read part of Iniego’s letter.
He said as part of the process in the PUVMP, the transport cooperative filed a petition for the consolidation of several CPCs into a single franchise under the cooperative to operate on certain routes.
Below are the following routes with filed petitions for consolidation by the APODTC:
* Calinog-Alcalaga and vice versa – June 8, 2022
* Iloilo City Tagbak-Anilao and vice versa – June 8, 2022
* Lambunao via Binabaan and vice versa – June 8, 2022
* Sta. Barbara via La Paz and vice versa – May 16, 2022
* Sta. Barbara via Aquino Avenue and vice versa – May 16, 2022
* Leganes via La Paz and vice versa – June 8, 2022
* Iloilo City Terminal Market – Zarraga via Bangga Bante and vice versa – April 16, 2021
* Iloilo City Terminal Market – Leganes via Aquino Avenue and vice versa – May 10,2022
* Iloilo City Tagbak Terminal – Palanguia via Pototan and vice versa – April 16, 2021
“Up to this time, the decision on our petitions has not been released. It need not be emphasized that the failure to release the decisions on our petition for an unreasonable length of time also delays the full implementation of the modernization program of the government. It also affects the operation of the cooperative and brings inconvenience to the riding public,” the letter further read.
Iniego lamented the delay in their petition’s approval was caused by the addition of process not included in the Citizen’s Charter of the LTFRB. Instead of just reviewing the evaluation of the legal section and signing the recommended decision, another evaluation section was formed to re-evaluate the evaluation already made by the legal section.
“Worse, this re-evaluating section charges penalties and assessments after a hearing on the petition has already been made, where it was already determined that the petition was regular,” read part of the letter.
Iniego is also protesting the “unjustified delay in the grant of a special permit for augmentation.”
He said when the Oyungan Bridge in Miag-ao town collapsed due to Typhoon “Paeng” on Oct. 30, 2022, 19 modern jeepney units and 30 traditional jeepney units of APODTC were stranded and unable to carry passengers from San Joaquin to Iloilo City and vice versa.
With this, the APODTC applied for a special permit for out-of-route operation on Nov. 2, 2022, before the LTFRB to allow units plying the Tigbauan-Iloilo City route to augment the 19 stranded units.
However, Iniego said, “up until the writing of this letter, no action was taken on our application for a special permit. It appears that the LTFRB is not cognizant of the seriousness of the situations.”
“I am therefore appealing for your help. I fear that the PUVMP may become a failure because of the very agency that is mandated to implement it,” Iniego stressed in the letter.
It further stated: “We request that an investigation into this inaction on our applications be commenced and any erring employee be meted the proper penalty.”
Panay News is open to any response from the office being called upon./PN
